A MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGICAL APPROACH FOR PERIODONTAL BONE-GRAFTING

The term ''minimally invasive surgery'' has described the use of a sur gical opening that is smaller than that routinely used to perform simi lar surgical procedures. A periodontal minimally invasive surgery tech nique for the placement of bone grafts in periodontal defects is descr ibed. The data from 10 consecutive patients on a routine supportive pe riodontal therapy schedule are presented. The mean healing time of the bone graft sites was 25.1 months, the mean probing depth reduction wa s 4.1 mm, and the mean attachment gain was 4.2 mm. Bone grafting using minimally invasive surgery appears to give results that are similar t o results reported using other techniques. Minimally invasive surgery may have the advantage of better retention of graft material and maint enance of tissue height. Patient acceptance of surgical treatment reco mmendations may be higher because of the perception that minimally inv asive surgery represents less surgery.